Feathering paddle-wheel.



PATBNTEDJJULY 31, 1906.

W.VN. CRUCHON. FEATHERING. PADDLE WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T 2.1905

WTNESSES:

1HE NoRRls PETERS co.,wAsHlNn1oN, D, c.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

No. 827,2`1c.

T0 all whom/ it Indy concern/.- v

vBe it known that I, WILLIAM N. GRUoHoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county oi' King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and yuseful Improvements in Feathering Paddle-- Wheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is -a side elevationl of a. paddlewheel embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 1s an enlarged perspective view of a detached Vpaddle or bucket; and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of one of the spring-containing cylinder-s, shown on a larger scale than in Fig. 1. y

'This invention relates to paddle-wheels used for propelling marine vessels, and more particularly to that class designated as feathering-wheels. Its, object is :to effect improvements in the construction of paddlewheels whereby vessels providedv with wheels embodying my improvements may be propelled with less ower than has been hitherto necessary and) can operate equally well in either rotary direction.

The invention, stated in general terms, consists in the eculiarly-constructed buckets provided witli means for automatically moving them as they enter the water into their most eHective positions and supplementary means for returning them to their normal inoperative positions upon emerging from the water. y

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention the reference-numeral 2 designates a center plate, andB 3 concentric wrought-iron rings, which are connected with the center plate by radial arms 4C.l All of the aforesaid parts of a wheel are in duplicate. and are urther connected lby transverse stay-rods (not shown) and form the wheel-frame, which is mounted upon a paddle-shaft 5, asordinary.

Pivotally mounted in and between each pair of the wheel-arms in proximity of their outer ends, as by gudgeons 6, are the buckets 7. These buckets, desirably, are of arc shape in cross-section, and from their opposite edges protrude lateral wings 8, which are disposed in planes radially of the curvatures of the respective buckets and centrally of their lengths. The gudgeons of each bucket eXteriorly of the respective'arms are formed or rovided with cranks 9, arranged in planes allso radial of the buckets and directed toward their centers oil curvature.

Specification of Letterslatent.

i Application filed October 2, 1905. Serial No. 280,945.

Two vibratile cylinders 1-0 are provided for each said bucket and 4are suspended at or `near their inner ends to the outer sides of the arms, as by pivotal pins 11. Extending axi- Patented July 31, 1906.

ally of each cylinder and through an aperture in the outer head 12 thereof (see Fig. 3) isxa n drag-rod 13, which is connected to one of said gudgeon-cranks. A-disk or piston 14 is provided within each of the cylinders and is adjustably attached to its rod by nuts 15, registering with screw-threads formed thereon. Interposed between the disk and the said outer head of each cylinder is a helical spring 16., tending to press the rod inwardly or toward the wheel-axis, and thereby move and resiliently maintain the several buckets in a plane concentricor1 the wheel, as shown in the upper portion of Fig. 1. As thewheel is rotated ineither direction the advancewings yof the revolving buckets strike the water and effect the turning of the buckets until they ycome in contact with the stop-rods 18, provided in the wheel-arms, and are held thereagainst by the dynamic force of the water until the buckets are emerged, when said springs assert themselvesto return the buckets to their normal inoperative positions. When the buckets are successively tilted by their advance wings striking the water, they are reliably heldin such tilted positions by reason of their outer wings then moving at a greater velocity than the others nearer the wheel-axis, and should the buckets when passing through the water be accidentally tilted out of their proper positions the outer wings are thereby brought to present an increasin ly effective area to the direct action of the uid, while the inner wings present a diminishing area, causing a greater difference between the opposing action, and are conseuently returned to Mtheir former positions t ough the unbalanced pressures actingV upon the bucket-wings.

The operation of the invention will be best understood Jfrom an inspection ,of Fig. 1, wherein the uppermost buckets are represented in their normal positions, the bucket' A at the right-hand side striking the water, and thereby being tilted into a position similar to that assumed by the previously-immersed buckets B, while the bucket C, having leftrthe water, is being'vreturned by the action voi: its springsr to the initial position. The springs must be of such strength as to be capable of returning the buckets to their concentric positions, yet not suiicient to over- IOO IIO

come the controlling action ofthe water, and to furnish means for regulating the tension of the springs to uliil this requirement the aforesaid adjustable nuts are provided. The buckets7 as before mentioned, operate equally well when revolvin in either direction and will accommodate t emselves to any contingency.

Various changes in the form and arrangement of the hereinbeore-described details may obviously be resorted to without departing from the essential features of my invention or sacriiicing its usefulness.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Iletters Patent, isp 1. The combination with the wheel-frame, of paddle-buckets pivotally connected thereto, said buckets being severally provided with 20' two oppositely disposed and inclined wings, the springs, the connections between said springs and buckets, and the stops for limiting the tilting movements of the buckets, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a paddle-wheel, of the tiltable buckets each provided with two `oppositelyinclined wings, the cranks, the

dra -rods, springs acting to maintain the buc ets in a plane concentric of the paddle- Wheel and means to adjust the tension of the springs, substantially as described.

8. The combination in a paddle-Wheel, of the tiltable buckets each provided with two oppositely-inclined wings, the cranks, the dra -rods, springs acting to maintain the buc iets in a plane concentric of the paddlewheel, means toI adjust the tension oi' the springs, and means to limit the tilting of' the buckets, substantially as described.

4. In a paddle-wheel, a bucket of curved transverse form provided with end Uudgeons and oppositely-inclined wings extending from the o posite edges of the bucket intermediate ci) its length, substantially as described.

5. In a paddle-wheel, the combination of a bucket pivotally connected thereto, means carried by the buckets for tilting the same as said means come in contact with the water, and spring-actuated means for returning said bucket to its normal position after it has emerged from the water, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aBX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM N. CRUCHON.

Witnesses:

PIERRE BARNES. W. H. BENNETT. 

